1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a boiler apparatus and, more particularly, to a boiler apparatus for removing a deposit of frost, snow, ice, or the like on the surface of the windshield and rear window of an automobile or the like vehicle by spraying hot water to melt such deposit.
2. Prior Art
An apparatus for fast and easy removal of a deposit of frost, snow, ice, or the like on a windshield is of great interest to persons who drive or use a car in winter time. Hence, various systems of this sort have been devised to date.
One commercially known system utilizes particular rays such as infrared or far infrared rays. Another utilizes electric heat. There is also known a system which utilizes heat of engine cooling water. In addition, one consisting of a combination of two of these systems. However, these systems each has a disvantage of its own because of which it is unable to effect fast and easy removal of frost, snow, ice, or the like depositing on the windshield.
An apparatus of the system which utilizes infrared or similar rays has a difficulty that where the snow deposits thick in layers on the windshield, rays will not reach deep into the layers of snow. One which utilizes electric heat is handy to operate, but since it depends for power supply on car batteries, the difficulty is that power available is only of the order of 120 W in the case of a medium-size car and 240 W in the case of a large-size car (when the engine is not in operation), no sufficient heat generation being expectable for melting a deposit of snow or the like. An apparatus of the type which utilized heat of engine cooling water has a drawback that considerable time is required to allow temperature rise of the cooling water, which means that the apparatus is almost useless when the engine is in a cooled-down state. More especially, when the car has been exposed to a non-use condition at a cold area for a long time, it takes much time to start the engine and, therefore, with this third mentioned type of apparatus, the loss time involved before the car begins to run will easily be doubled. Such type of apparatus would possibly become usable after the engine has been driven for more than 30 minutes, for example.
As above stated, the conventional apparatuses each has its own drawback and has not been successful in removing snow or the like by melting rapidly after engine start.